Former Rockstar and Riot Developers Raise $5M USD for Bazooka Tango in Round Led by BITKRAFT Ventures

Funding to support strategic hires who will help bring Shardbound and new, in-development titles to market

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bazooka Tango, a game studio led by former creators of Vainglory, Bo Daly and Stephan Sherman, has successfully raised $5 million USD in a funding round led by BITKRAFT Ventures, with participation from RW3 Ventures, Sfermion, 1Up Ventures, and others. The funds will be used to help grow the Bazooka Tango team, with strategic hires meant to bring to market new, in-development titles, as well as double down on the development of Shardbound, an immersive, multiplayer collectible tactics game built in collaboration with Immutable Games. 

With the already booming trading card game (TCG) market slated to hit $11.57 billion by 2030, games like Shardbound — which combine classic TCG elements with the ethos of digital ownership — are set to take center stage.

Shardbound is the upcoming project from Bazooka Tango - founded in March 2019 by Bo Daly and Stephan Sherman, veterans with extensive experience in AAA gaming heralding from Rockstar Games, Riot, Blizzard, and Activision. Notably, they previously co-founded Super Evil Megacorp and created the award-winning game Vainglory. Their new venture, with leading web3 publisher, Immutable Games, aims to deliver a next-generation, collectible tactics game filled with rich lore, deep strategy, and intense competition that integrates web3 technology to deliver true digital ownership to players.

"We are honored and humbled by the recognition Shardbound is receiving from gamers and investors alike," said Bo Daly, Founder and CEO at Bazooka Tango. "We have already received overwhelming support with our latest Alpha playtest maxing out at our 1,000 player cap. We believe that web3 has the potential to unleash some really cool ideas and we're excited to see so much enthusiasm from our community as we continue on this journey together."

Already, Bazooka Tango has used funds to support a strategic round of new hires including the appointment of Vice President of Operations, Kellen Smalley, an experienced leader who taps into more than 18 years of experience working with gaming and entertainment companies, including Apple, Disney, Twitch, Kabam, Electronic Arts, as well as web3 companies Forte and Rally. In addition, experienced game developers from 2K, Sledgehammer Games, Rainbow Studios, and Pocket Gems have also joined the Bazooka Tango team.

"Amid an incredibly challenging year for VC funding, it speaks volumes to the quality of our games - like Shardbound and the team we have built here at Bazooka Tango," continued Daly. "With the help of this additional funding, we are focused on expanding our team in critical disciplines essential for launching and growing the Shardbound universe."

"Bo and Stephan were some of the first video game founders to bring high-quality core multiplayer games to mobile devices, setting a new standard for a new platform. They are the perfect team to raise the bar again to bring core web2 gamers into the web3 space," said Scott Rupp, Founding General Partner of BITKRAFT Ventures.

Shardbound's initial Alpha playtest has already seen significant interest from gamers, attracting 1,000 participants and generating positive reviews from notable content creators including, Kripparian, BruceGreene, YellowPanther, and others. Today, the game already boasts over 50,000 pre-registrations and more than 10,000 total hours watched as part of the Shardbound Creator Campaign.

To stay up to date on all Shardbound news, including early access to upcoming playtests, players can join the Shardbound community by pre-registering today at: https://www.shardbound.com/.

About Bazooka Tango
Bazooka Tango is raising the bar for blockchain gaming. With a portfolio of interoperable, AAA games, we are building the metaverse for 100M core gamers.

Combining deep publishing expertise with the creative muscle behind the breakthrough mobile esport Vainglory, we have decades of experience building and scaling hit games across PC, mobile and console. With multiple titles set for release across key core-gaming genres, our network of games will shape the future of competitive play. Our upcoming title, Shardbound, launches worldwide next year. Pre-register today at www.shardbound.com.

About Immutable Games
Immutable Games is a global leader in web3 game development and publishing, backed by a world-class team who have proven track records of bringing games to millions of players. As the gaming-focused arm of Immutable, the leading web3 gaming company, Immutable Games has pioneered the world's first blockbuster NFT trading-card game Gods Unchained and is currently building the highly anticipated mobile RPG Guild of Guardians.

Alongside its own high-quality titles, Immutable Games partners with third-party game developers to provide them with best-in-class strategy and execution expertise aimed at ensuring the success of every web3 game deployed within the Immutable ecosystem. 

Immutable Games is guided by its mission to redefine gaming for generations to come, by developing innovative and engaging experiences that empower players with true ownership, value, and creative expression.

For more information, please visit: https://www.immutable.com/games-studio

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SOURCE Immutable